1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for improving the characteristics of fuel such as fuel oil to be supplied to an engine of a vehicle such as an automobile and a boat or ship or heavy oil or light oil to be supplied to a burner of a boiler or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Explanation will be made as to fuel for automobiles. Gasoline, light oil, LPG and the like are used for an automotive engine depending upon its type. It is well known that such hydrocarbonized fuel forms a variety of harmful substances through the combustion. Therefore, the amount of the harmful substances emitted after the combustion is limited by circumstance standards or legal provisions. For this reason, every car maker makes a great effort to improve engines and purifying devices such as catalyst systems to meet the applicable standards.
By the way, the demands for improving the fuel for automotive vehicles are not only decreasing the harmful substances in emission. There is a task as to how to reduce the amount of fuel to be required for running the vehicle through the same distance (i.e., fuel consumption rate). If the fuel consumption rate is enhanced, not only an economical effect is improved but also the emission of the harmful substances may be suppressed.
A technology which is noticed recently is a so-called lean-burn engine. This means that each part of the engine is improved so that a lean combustion in comparison with a conventional engine, i.e., a smooth rotation with fuel at a high air/fuel ratio may be obtained. Every car maker has researched and developed this type of engine and has provided a lean-burn engine on the market. However, the percentage of that engine on the market is still about several percent. This engine has not yet been extensively used.
It is considered that a user who thinks about purchase of an automobile would be typically worried that:
i) the power would be insufficient;
ii) Although there is no problem when the automobile is new, when it gets old, the fuel consumption rate would become worse and in addition, the power would be insufficient; and
iii) the maintenance would difficult, which would increase costs for maintenance. Thus, the user hesitates to buy the automobiles with the lean-burn engine and finally decides to buy a traditional one.
Nevertheless, it is attractive that the fuel consumption rate is enhanced. Any driver wishes that. Also, although the driver could not compensate for the disadvantage of the harmful substances in emission of the automotive vehicle owned by him or her by his or her efforts, the small containment of the harmful substances in emission out of the automotive vehicle is one of the essential factors. However, if the type of the automobile is not limited as in the lean-burn engine described above but a good result is obtained by mounting a device on the automobile as desired after the purchase of the automobile, this is ideal. This is because the driver only spends a small amount of money for the vehicle that is now owned, thereby reducing the harmful substances contained in the emission and enhancing the fuel consumption rate.